Sound change in Old Montagnais

This thesis looks at the sound changes which occurred from reconstructed Proto-Algonquian to Old Montagnais. The Old Montagnais language was recorded by the Jesuits during the seventeenth century in the region of Quebec City, Lac Saint-Jean and the lower Saguenay River at the Tadoussac mission. Their most important works which survive to this day are two dictionaries, Dictionnaire montagnais by Antoine Silvy and Racines montagnaises by Bonaventure Fabvre. By comparing the entries in these two dictionaries with their Proto-Algonquian cognates, a series of sound changes is presented which account for the seventeenth century form of the language. Most notably, this period sees the beginnings of *k-palatalisation, so characteristic of Montagnais languages today. Other sound changes include: some /s/∼/š/ neutralisation, /st/ assibilation, and the /r/ reflex of *l.